Key-controlled lock.



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KEN @DNTR-OLUED LOCK. APFLlE/A'TSl-DN sTillEfD flfAN. 26. 19ML. 1,280,633, Patented oct. 8, 1918.

, I.. .l v l 2' f l' n IIIIHHII IIIIIIIIIIIII E1)` STATES PATENT OFFICE.

l EDWARD ze. BAIRD, or EvANS'roN,`ILLINbIs, AssIGNoR, BY AMESNE ASSIGNMENTS, 'ro

THE KING Lock coMPANY, or cnrcneo, ILLINOIS, A conronA'rIoN or ILLINOIS.

KEY-coN'rnoLLEn Lock.

Specilcation of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 8, 1918.

n Application led January 26, 1914. Serial No. 814,884.`

To all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known thatl, EDWARD P. BAIRD, a resident of Evanston, in the county of Cook and State oflllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements'in Key-Controlled Locks, of which the following isa full, clear, and exact description. v The invention relates to key-controlled locks. The invention designs to\pro'vide a lock which is simple in construction \and which cannot be operated except by a properly formed key.

A further object of the invention is tov provide a lock which is operated by a spiral key. A c" A further object of the invention is to provide a lock, which contrary to usual practice, is made by constructing the lock to t a previously made key.

The invention consists in the several novel features hereinafter set forth and more particularly defined by claims at'the conclusion hereof. y

In the drawings-Figure@ is a front view of a lock embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2, the key being Shown in position to release the tum- -.blers. Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the key.

Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is 'a section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 8. Fig. 7^is a plan'view of the `spindle inserted in the cylinder .which is shown in section. Fig. 8 is a section taken on the line of Fig. 2, the key being withdrawn. Fig. 9 is a perspective v iew of the spindle key. Fig. -10 `is a side v1ew of the spiral key.' v

The lock is shown as secured to a plate 10 and comprises a barrel 11 which is secured J tofsaid plate by screws 12. Thebarrel comprises a hollow cylindrical member having oppositely disposed coveredV slotslor ways 13 and 13 and a shoulder'14 in one of its ends. A key spindle 15 is adapted .to t snugly within said barrel and to engage the shoulder 14. This spindle 15 isprovided with a slot 16 extending transversely therethrough. At one end, the s indle has a slot or ide 18 adapted to reccive'the end of the Y e 18. The other end of the spindleis recesse as at 19 and a key-guide 20 is placed in this end. The key being spiral, it is necessary that this guide 20 be rst litted .to the key before i11-y serting and securing it to the ey-spindle. When in position, it serves as a guide for the key 4causing'it to lexecute a rotary motion whenv the key is being inserted in the keyspindle. A spiral key adapted for this lock is more particularly described in my Patent No. 1,161,760, dated November .23, 1915. The guide 18 is also formed in the spindle so that after the key has been inserted therein the end which has been rotatedby its insertion in and by guide 20, now passes through guide 18. The position of these guides in the spindle makes it impossible to operatethe ,lock y any other key than the one having thesame twistv as that by means of which the guides were formed.

A series of tumbler-'plates 22 are placed in slot 16 of spindle 15. Each tumbler is formed out of a` thin Strip or Sheet of metal and comprises a-at plate having a longitutated. A ring 30 abuts against the end of dinal slot 23 therein and which is adapted to y barrel 11 and the shoulder 31 of the spindle and is secured to the spindle 20 by upsetting v the edge of the spindle, as at 32. The'rng 30 coperates with the spindle in the barrelY 11 and covers the Slots 13. and .13.

The key 18, which is adapted to be inserted into a narrow slot 28 in the guide 20 in the spindle its width at all points will correspond to the length of the slot 23 in each tumbler.

and 18` in the spindle are Acorrespondin formed to `guide the key in the Spindle. e key is twisted alon l inserted in the loc ,j it willy have 'a spiral movement and so that, should anyone wish to duplicate the key, thou h they ymight vmake a key having a" oove t erein and its opposite edges form I of corresponding irregular the shoulder-14 to hold Key' A.18 has a groove 29 therein, and the slots 28 y y 15, has its opposite* edges formed of irregular `but corresponding outline, so that its length, so that when outline, still if they did not twist it the same as the ori inal, it would not fit the slots 28 in the guide 20 and the slot 18 and therefore could notV operate the lock. *The slot 18 and the guide-slot 28 serve to hold the key securely in place and to center it on the spindle when it is inserted therein so that it will have a positive action upon the spindle and the tumbler plates 22 when it is rotated to shift the locking bolt 26. When the projecting edge-portion of the key moves one end ofthe said tumblers outwardly, theopposite end of the same tumbler will be free to move inwardly a corresponding extent by reason of the parallel edged key.

In this manner, the tumblers are positively shifted and controlled by the key without the use otsprings. The tumblers are confined against axial movement between the ends of the slot 16 in the barrel y one another.

In making the lock, the tumblers are all. stamped of the same shape with slots 23. The spiral key will then be made with parallel edges,ibut of any desired contour and twist. AThe spiral key, or 4a form like the key, is then inserted into the desired number of assembled tumblers and with the entire series of tumblers for the lock adjusted to the key, the tumblers will be cut oii'on a straight llne, so that when the key has been inserted in the slot 28 and 18 of the` specially constructed. guides-and is in the spindle, all the will clear the slots 13 and 13 inthe barrel and `be free to rotate in the barrel andoperate the locking-bolt 26. By "such a method of construction, therrelease ofthe tumblers lock by a key of any form to Awhich the tumblers The invention is notto'be restricted-to the" .since these maybe 4modi-v pended claims e spirity and combination, 'a1-fixed, zbarrel, a locking` bolt,

a spindle having a key guide therein, a

series Y of: tumbler` plates within said spindle provided with slots arranged be engagedl by :the vkey :for controlling the tumblers, saidtumbler. rectlons x to f en tain the spin e-agiinst rotationl whenl the lates are shifted yl said key, and' meansy or locking bolt. w I

the projecting portions of l and guides :are lfitted is .insured and -thls saves any fitting of thev key to the v J when insaid ke said tumblers in said slotsoffasize to vkpermita partlatgrctationrtof the keyf-relative to 'theyslotshavinl Surfaces a apted to be plates movable indiagegthe lxed` barrelY 'and re` .pperatively connecting the spindle lvandl controlling the tumblers in opposite directions, said slots being of greater width than the thickness of the key whereby the key may have a turning movement therein, said spindle having a longitudinal slot in which ing means for receiving the tumbler plates when they areshifted by said key, a locking bolt, and means for transmitting movement of said spindle to said locking bolt.

3. In a lock of the kind' described, the combination of a series of perforated tumbler` plates having surfaces intermediate the ends thereof' arranged to be engaged by a key to operate said tumblers, said perforations in saidv plates being of a size to permit a turning of the key relative the plates, and means at one side of s aid plates for guiding the key whereby the key is caused to turn relatively to the tumblers upon insertion of the key in said guide and lengthwise movement of the same through-said perforations. A

4. A lock comprising a rotatable spindle, a fixed barrel for containingrsaid spindle, and a series of tumbler plates mounted in saidspindle and movable t0' engage Isaid barrel, said' spindle` havin 'a key guide at" one end and a centering p ate atthe other, and said tumbler plates provided-with suitable key-ways therethrough adapted to b engaged by "a s iral key u oninsertion of the key thereth P rough greaterf widththan key whereby a said key-ways of partial rotation ofthe key -ways isf permitted, va lock-v the thickness Aof the i ing bolt, and means for 4transmitting `mov`eV 7 lment'fromsaidspindle to saidbolt. f

yat oney end thereof, a series of tumbler latesl width than 'the 'thickness of 'thev key whereby the key'may `be in- `6. A lockcomprising spindle having a key g'ulde at one end there- -5. Ina-lock, a spindle having a key guide mounted on said vspindle,1av keyfor 'shifting I poslt'e directions', said tumbler `plates provided with slotstherein which are ofgreater a faxed' i bami, 'a'

of, a lseries of tumbler' lates'provided with by a key w ereby the upon'lnsertion of the key,

mgfa lo'n -tudinalv slot therein' inV which receivingthe` when 'they are ends of saidtum-Y` shifted in 0131104*r enga ed.. tumbl'ersare shi dj said spindle hav- 1.25v

75 said tumblers reciprocate, said barrel havvsite directions by said key, said spindle hav# of the fixed barrel for preventing transverse ing a key. guide at its inner end conforming movement of the inner barrel.

t0 the contour of the inner end of the key and disposed to receive a particular key suitable for operatively shifting the tumblers, and means mounted on the inner end of s'aid spindle and engaging the inner enl EDWARD P. BAIRD.

Witnesses MILDRED STUMPF, ETHEL GERLACH. 

